Similarities and differences between confucianism and Neo- confucianism (modern) and changes in Confucianism in Korea, Japan, and China
Basic Information about Confucianism
Confucianism seeks harmonious society which does not depend on feudal or financial merits. It sought ultimate goodness and moral equality. Two points were interrelated in the confucianism. One of the points was that government and proper social order and another being the qualities and modes of conduct necessary to be worthy human being. In Confucius's mind these two points were related by his belief that social order and the proper government actions come out of morality. He was the China's first private educator. He sought to train the young men for the service in government because of his opinion that the true learning is moral learning and that the society should be ruled by someone who learned politics based on it.
Five relations exist in Confucianism
1. Father - Son: It was believed that sons should respect fathers and follow their orders and on the other side fathers should take actions that are worthy of respect.
•“Honor your parents and make your brothers friends – this too is good government”
2. Elders - Younger: Youngers should respect elders because they have more knowledge and wisdom than the younger ones do. Like the previous relationship, elders need to take actions that are worthy of respect to be respected by the youngers.
•Ju Yu asked the Master, “Should one immediately put into practice what one has heard?” “As your father and elder brothers are still alive, you are hardly in a position immediately to put into practice what you have heard.” 11:22
3. Ruler - Subject: Subject must obey the ruler's rules. However, ruler must make rules that benefit the subjects that he or she is ruling and "flow with the wind smoothly".
•“To govern is to correct. If you set an example be being correct, who would dare to remain incorrect?”
4. Husband - Wife: The wife must be respectful toward her husband and the husband must be worthy of respect in return.
•“In one’s household, it is the women and the small men that are difficult to deal with. If you let them get too close, they become insolent (disrespectful). If you keep them at a distance, they complain.” 17:25
5. Friend - Friend: They should not deceive each other. The true friends are the ones that are willing to correct your mistakes.
•“A gentleman makes friends through being cultivated, but looks to friends for support in benevolence (goodwill).” 12:24
During Han Dynasty (206 B.C - 220 A.D.) Confucian beliefs were mixed with elements that had been competing schools of thought. Some cosmological speculations from Yin - Yang and and Five Agents philosophy were used along with Confucian core to synthesize complex system that described what was majorly responsible for encompassing rules of Chinese empire by putting by putting man, society, and government together.
However, Confucianism became less plausible when the society started to become grasped in chaos as the dynasty fell. People of the China not only criticized the government but also the ideology that it used to govern the dynasty, Confucianism.
As China sought for new philosophy to turn its head on Taoism and Buddhism competed with each other for dominance in China. Through trading, foreign tradition was brought into China and Buddhism started attracting those with best minds and profound spirits. Confucianism was still looked at, but it was not considered as important as it used to be in Han dynasty. Scholars viewed it as somewhat of naive and mundane philosophy to put the ideology of government on and thus saw it as a complement to better the ideology of Buddhism.
Neo Confucianism
Buddhism reached its zenith in Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). However, on Sung Dynasty (979 - 1279), the political system took somewhat of a reform movement to solve socioeconomic problems through reinterpreting the Confucianism in a creative and novel and new way. This reshaped the tradition both intellectually and spiritually. Now, men started viewing Confucianism more seriously and considered it to contain what they were looking for: ascetic doctrine dealing with developing of the inner life of the mind and some abstract concepts to cover and become infrastructure of philosophical account of sage hood, self-cultivation, and the universe. This renewed Confucianism was similar to Buddhism. But, the fact that Neo Confucianism was a creative reinterpretation of traditional Confucianism to meet the new standards of the new era, instead of being a concept that is renewed by borrowing some of the principles of Buddhism holds it to be rather unique and more advanced that Confucianism. It answers the range of mundane of Buddhism through grounding the mundane some what uniquely and exceptionally: personal relationships, concern about society and government are united with more ascetic practice to make a path to the ultimate personal fulfillment.
•The founders
Chou Tun-i (1017-1073), Chang Tsai (1020-1077), and his nephews, the brothers Ch'eng Hao (1032-1083) and Ch'eng I (1033-1108) are held mainly responsible for building the Neo Confucianism. Chang Tsai elaborated a monistic metaphysics based, like Chou's Diagram, on the Book of Changes. Although his meta physical system was largely supplanted by that developed by his neph ews, his work was of seminal importance for Neo-Confucian psychological theory.2 Confucian ethics was reestablished on a me taphysical foundation by his famous essay, The Western Inscription, which appears in chapter 2. The Ch'eng brothers were responsible for the introduction of the concept li, "principle," which became the pivot point of Neo-Confucian metaphysics, psychology, and ascetical doctrine.
•The Four Books
The Neo Confucianism developed metaphysical and ascetic principles essential to renew the Confucian tradition. While this was happening, it reshaped the classical attention on particular works and spoke and discussed and focused on new concerns.
1. Great Learning: This was taken out of Book of Rites and became most famous description of the process of self-cultivation.
2. Doctrine of the Mean: This was also taken out of Book of Rites. It provides necessary principles for a metaphysically based psychological theory and a depiction of sagehood.
3. Mencius: Discussed the Neo Confucian concern regarding the mind, human nature, and finding of the inner life
4. Analects: The classic containing the words of Confucius himself recorded by his direct disciples
Japan
Confucianism in Japan
Even though it is not considered so much as to be a religion, Confucianism has deeply influenced Japanese thought. The Confucian government was and held responsibility to be moral and bureaucratic to be somewhat in a form of benevolence toward the ruled people. Confucianism also provided a hierarchical system, in which each person was to act according to his or her status to create a harmoniously functioning society and ensure loyalty to the state. The teachings of filial piety and humanity continue to form the foundation for much of social life and ideas about family and nation. Because of these reasons, some scholars consider the Confucianism to be responsible for isolationism of Japan and the strict cast system that it has, like China and Korea. However, it was not able to get as much public appeal that Neo Confucianism, which mostly warriors advocated because of the principles related to warriors. However, it did appeal to the political system, notisfied Prince Shótoku Taish, the patron of Confucianism and Buddhism in Japan, making a 17-article Constitution that established Confucianist ideals and Buddhist ethics to be the moral foundations of the young Japanese blueprint for court etiquette and decorum.
Neo Confucianism in Japan
In Japan, the official guiding philosophy of the Tokugawa period (1603 - 1867) was Neo Confucianism. This philosophy attracted and influenced thoughts of the educated class. In the Neo - Confucianism view, harmony was maintained by a reciprocal relationship of justice between a superior, thought to be worthy only when one is benevolent, and a subordinate, who was urged to be obedient and see the changes and observe propriety.
•Four Main Elements of Neo Confucianism that influenced Japan
1) Fundamental Rationalism:
a. put emphasis to be unbiased to be the base of learning and conduct
b. pursued to "investigate" and observe stuffs as told in Great Learning
c. studied the constant laws of nature and human society (different than ceaseless change and Law of Impermanence stressed by Buddhism).
2) Essential Humanism:
a. focus on man and the relationships, not on the supernatural world - The stress on social order (warrior, farmer, artisan, merchant) was supported by this
b. emphasize five Confucian Relationships
c.rejects Buddhism and Taoism
3) Historicism:
a. scholars looked at past for future
b. Japanese scholars payed attention to Japanese history, not Chinese
4) Ethnocentrism:
a. in China, means anti-Buddhist, anti-Mongol/Turkic invaders
b. meant loyalty to the emperor and intense xenophobia, worked well with the National Learning scholarship of the time. Also, urged isolationism
•Important people
Hayashi Razan (1583 - 1657)
– Advisor to Tokugawa leyasu (1542 - 1616), the first Tokugawa shogun
– Helped in promoting orders from the early Tokugawa shogun
– Scholar of Shinto and National Learning
– Made Samurai to become shi, a knight or gentleman with a level of spiritual and moral development with academic martial knowledge that surpasses those of ordinary people.
Yamazaki Ansai (1618 - 1682)
He popularized Confucian ethics, and revived Shinto and helped in its development to become a coherent system and also increased the nationalism among Japanese people. He gave a special focus to education. This focus was continued through into modern era and focused on five relationship and clarifying it.
– "Devotion within, righteousness without"
– Devotion: service to the Shinto deities
– Righteousness: proper behavior in society
– Tried to reconcile Shinto and Confucian philosophies
Confucianism in Japan Today
Some of those traditional values have been passed down from ancestors for modern Japan. For example, they get ashamed, punishment for what they did wrong, transgress or do something things wrong. Also, the samurai, as we know is influenced by Confucianism, if we would not have Neo Confucianism, then we would not see and any samurais that come close to what we think of when we hear samurai. They will be just a blood seeker since Confucianism was what brought them to the scholars and the intelligence and urged them to follow shi, to develop their spirit and moral to exceed those of ordinary people and become more than just a mundane people. Also, we can see, like all other nations, the five relationships still exist even in the modern time. For example, husband and wife relationship. To Koreans, Japanese women are thought to have Ae Gyu, something like cuteness or gestures that usually Asian men like. This trying to be cute is because they still have that belief that women should follow husband and that is one of the ways of doing it. There even is a saying in Japanese that says "Men are skills and Women are how cute they are" Like this, some of the Confucianism is still preserved well and people follow it.
Korea
Early Confucianism in Korea
Confucianism originally entered Korea from China as an administrative tool. In the fourth century, two of the three kingdoms on the Korean peninsula at that time, Koguryo (37 BCE–668 CE) and Paekche (18 BCE–663 CE), established Confucian academies to teach lower-level government officials how to keep historical records and write diplomatic documents in the format and language used by Confucian government officials in China. The third kingdom, Shilla (57 BCE–935 CE), did the same in the seventh century. Since the Koryo dynasty (918–1392), percentage of scholars have taken examinations known as Kwa Geu examination to become Sunbi or get promoted a rank above. The Koryo civil-service examination, Kwa Geu examination, system was a modified version of the civil-service examination systemof Tang-dynasty China (618–907). The men who took the Koryo examinations could choose to be tested either on their ability to analyze classical Confucian texts or on their ability to write essays and poems in the style of revered Chinese Confucian writers. Because most who sat for the examinations chose the composition track, Confucianism remained primarily a guide to a good writing. Still, in this period, studying and making the Confucian principles to be bases for the learnings were not required, rather Confucianism was used as a supplementary source or idea to help you promote a rank or gain some political power.
Neo Confucianism in the Chosun Dynasty
This approach changed in the Choson dynasty, which replaced the Koryo at the end of the fourteenth century. The Choson dynasty was Korea's first and only Confucian dynasty, and most entry-level government officials were required to pass a Confucian civil-service examination. This examination focused on policy and morality more than on literary style. In the preceding periods, Buddhism had dominated court ritual and ethical discourse. Confucianism was confined primarily to defining how official histories, government documents, and literary compositions should be written.
Confucian influence on Korean moral thinking before the fourteenth century, however, was significant. Confucian moral rhetoric, particularly terms such as loyalty and filial piety, had penetrated Korea by the texts taught to government clerks in earlier periods. Confucian virtues had become an important part of the Korean ethical discourse, but they existed alongside, and often as a supplement to, the ethical principles of the official state religion, Buddhism.
During the Choson dynasty, Neo-Confucianism replaced Buddhism both inside and outside government as the principal decider of how human beings should live. Neo-Confucianism, which Koreans called "the learning of human nature and principle," insisted that Confucian moral principles not only defined how human beings should interact with one another, but also defined what human beings were when they realized their full human potential. In other words, moral principles constituted human nature.
In order to help human beings realize that full potential, Neo-Confucianism offered two tools to replace the sutra study, chanting, and meditation Buddhism had offered. The first was ritual and etiquette, detailed prescriptions of how to behave in specific situations. The second was practical moral psychology, techniques for cultivating a moral character that could follow those prescriptions.
One of the more important guides to proper behavior during the Choson dynasty was House Rules of Master Zhu, a guide tohousehold ritual and etiquette by the great Chinese Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi (1130–1200). Koreans became aware of this work near the end of the Koryo dynasty, but only in the Choson dynasty did it assume so much importance that family relationships were restructured to bring them more in line with its prescriptions. According to Zhu Xi, only eldest sons could host ancestral memorial services, Jesa. This contradicted the Koryo practice of letting younger sons and even daughters lead rituals honoring their parents and of letting younger sons and daughters inherit the property that provided enough income to host such rituals. In order to bring Korean ritual practices in line with Neo-Confucian ritual prescriptions, the Choson dynasty redefined the family to give priority to the eldest son, reducing the inheritance rights of younger sons and taking away any inheritance rights whatsoever from the daughters.
The most effective approach to character cultivation became a hotly debated issue in the sixteenth century. For the next three centuries, Koreans argued about whether to follow the advice of Yi Hwang (1510–1570, pen name T'oegye) or Yi I (1536–1584, pen name Yulgok). T'oegye recommended sitting in quiet concentration to rid the mind of disturbing self-centered emotions. Yulgok, on the other hand, encouraged his followers to cultivate an attitude of sincerity so that they always acted appropriately in whatever situation they found themselves.
Confucianism in Korea Today
When the Choson dynasty fell in 1910, Neo-Confucianism lost its institutional base and could not maintain its hegemony over government, ritual, philosophy, and ethics. Nevertheless, a century later, Korea still shows traces of its Confucian past. Koreans continue to mourn their ancestors with Confucian ritual, although modernized and simplified. And they continue to wield Confucian terminology in debates over ethical issues. Sixteen hundred years after Confucianism became established in Korea, Korea remains in many ways a Confucian country.
For example, the five relationships strongly controls the way people think and act in the society. Younger ones would vow to the older ones or speak in, Jon Dat Mal, to show that they respect them. However, some changes did take place in Korea as it got into 21st century. The relationship between husband and wife does not apply so strongly to Korean society as it used to back in Chosun and Koryo dynasty. For instance, some wives do not use Jon Dat Mal anymore, if you look at Korea dramas, wives are always speaking to their husband in Jon Dat Mal, but now, since, in the reality, that mind that males are dominant had been weakening somewhat, this shows that Korea is now leaving out some principles that it consider to be unnecessary. Also, now, Confucianism is not the only choice available when one is making decision. For example, previously described, wives speaking in Jon Dat Mal to husbands.
China
Early Confucianism in China
Most of the early Confucianism of China was mentioned in the beginning of this research paper. Therefore, I will cover the subjects I have not covered. Confucius wanted to bring back the old days of Zhou dynasty and the wisdom along with it. After, Confucius died, his student, Mencius (372 B. C - 289 B. C) continued his legacy and spread confucianism all around China. It was in the time of Han dynasty ruled by emperor Wu. Since, his ideology was served and used as principle for government ruling, Confucius soon became glorified as if he was a god, even though he said that he did not want those kind of treatments from others. Then the Song Dynasty came and it caused decline in the influence of Confucianism and later made it to become just a ideology that is supplement of Buddhism and does not matter whether it is known or not
Neo Confucianism in China
It took some time for Confucianism to bring back its old glory back to China. People focused on other philosophical ideas and science and other stuffs. However, Chinese soon finds out that Confucianism is good and bring back Confucianism as Neo Confucianism and this is about it.
Confucianism in China Today
Confucianism has a lot of similarities with socialism today. Both promote collective interests and community welfare. Both emphasize the educational or remolding process in serving the common good of the society. These concepts may be quite different from the West that every individual is a completely independent entity. Individual freedom is well above the social order and welfare. We can see strong ruler - subject relationship in China since the government is somewhat of not lenient in terms of letting people choose. However, some people believe that Confucianism is not taking place so strongly as it used to in early confucianism and neo confucianism time because of the government's violation of taking actions that are respectful. Since they are controlling everything and not letting ordinary people to do anything, this can be seen as only one side of the relationship, subject, to be doing its duty correctly and right. However, the five relationships are preserved well in the country.
Compare and Contrast
So, I think the biggest similarity between these three nations is that they preserved the five relationships rather strongly and did not change them that much. Also, the fact that they all went through and had regular Confucianism, Neo Confucianism and somewhat of modified Confucianism makes them to have somewhat of closely related cast system and morals. Some differences would be that Japan was the last to get contacted to Confucianism. However, all of the nations liked and revered Confucianism in one point of their history and is has it as a base for some principles that we use in modern time. More differences would be that China was the place where the Confucianism origined and people had first contact with it before any other countries did. Also, it was the prime country that gave Confucianism and other religions to Korea and Japan.
Manipulation of the Confucianism is different for all three countries in terms of government. In Japan, the country used it to further good the samurais, who are basically the fighters of the country. Since the society was warrior based society, they saw that warriors should not only be able to fight well but need some knowledge and skills to write well and show their emotions. For example, because of confucianism, samurais started using poems to show their mood, emotion, and what they saw and felt. Koreans on the other hand, since it is more of a scholar based society, used it to find smart people to be used in government or science or other stuffs. Korean government would have civil-service examination to be taken by scholars to see what level they are and whether they actually fit for the job. Like this, Koreans used it for knowledge and scholar subjects while as Japanese used it for warrior based subjects. Lastly, China used it to set it as an ideology to be followed by government. It is true that the other nations did the same thing, but China was the only nation that revered the term mentioned in Confucianism so well. They actually taken the Confucianism to a degree in which they considered it to be a religion and Confucius to be somewhat of a god like being.
Similarity, as mentioned is the preserve of all three nations' five relationships. This shows that even though these different nations had different ethics, ideas, morals and more, they agreed on the relationship of Confucianism and principles of it. This means that Confucianism could be fit for any other countries also, even in European continent. The fact that it wants government to fully understand moral before ruling would inevitably attract people and it proves that fact that Confucius is fit and suitable to be somewhat of a philosophy known int lots of regions and places.
Last similarity is the fact that husband - wife role is shifting and had been somewhat modified to today's standard. For example, the original Confucius idea would allow harsh stuffs to happen to wives and call it justified. However, since we now treat women equally, we do not think women as inferior and thus forcing us to modify the husband - wife relationship to fit our standard. I believe that if Confucianism goes through some of these modifying moments, then it would be able to be accepted in all parts of the world because of its love for equality and morality.
Basic Information about Confucianism
Confucianism seeks harmonious society which does not depend on feudal or financial merits. It sought ultimate goodness and moral equality. Two points were interrelated in the confucianism. One of the points was that government and proper social order and another being the qualities and modes of conduct necessary to be worthy human being. In Confucius's mind these two points were related by his belief that social order and the proper government actions come out of morality. He was the China's first private educator. He sought to train the young men for the service in government because of his opinion that the true learning is moral learning and that the society should be ruled by someone who learned politics based on it.
Five relations exist in Confucianism
1. Father - Son: It was believed that sons should respect fathers and follow their orders and on the other side fathers should take actions that are worthy of respect.
•“Honor your parents and make your brothers friends – this too is good government”
2. Elders - Younger: Youngers should respect elders because they have more knowledge and wisdom than the younger ones do. Like the previous relationship, elders need to take actions that are worthy of respect to be respected by the youngers.
•Ju Yu asked the Master, “Should one immediately put into practice what one has heard?” “As your father and elder brothers are still alive, you are hardly in a position immediately to put into practice what you have heard.” 11:22
3. Ruler - Subject: Subject must obey the ruler's rules. However, ruler must make rules that benefit the subjects that he or she is ruling and "flow with the wind smoothly".
•“To govern is to correct. If you set an example be being correct, who would dare to remain incorrect?”
4. Husband - Wife: The wife must be respectful toward her husband and the husband must be worthy of respect in return.
•“In one’s household, it is the women and the small men that are difficult to deal with. If you let them get too close, they become insolent (disrespectful). If you keep them at a distance, they complain.” 17:25
5. Friend - Friend: They should not deceive each other. The true friends are the ones that are willing to correct your mistakes.
•“A gentleman makes friends through being cultivated, but looks to friends for support in benevolence (goodwill).” 12:24
During Han Dynasty (206 B.C - 220 A.D.) Confucian beliefs were mixed with elements that had been competing schools of thought. Some cosmological speculations from Yin - Yang and and Five Agents philosophy were used along with Confucian core to synthesize complex system that described what was majorly responsible for encompassing rules of Chinese empire by putting by putting man, society, and government together.
However, Confucianism became less plausible when the society started to become grasped in chaos as the dynasty fell. People of the China not only criticized the government but also the ideology that it used to govern the dynasty, Confucianism.
As China sought for new philosophy to turn its head on Taoism and Buddhism competed with each other for dominance in China. Through trading, foreign tradition was brought into China and Buddhism started attracting those with best minds and profound spirits. Confucianism was still looked at, but it was not considered as important as it used to be in Han dynasty. Scholars viewed it as somewhat of naive and mundane philosophy to put the ideology of government on and thus saw it as a complement to better the ideology of Buddhism.
Neo Confucianism
Buddhism reached its zenith in Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). However, on Sung Dynasty (979 - 1279), the political system took somewhat of a reform movement to solve socioeconomic problems through reinterpreting the Confucianism in a creative and novel and new way. This reshaped the tradition both intellectually and spiritually. Now, men started viewing Confucianism more seriously and considered it to contain what they were looking for: ascetic doctrine dealing with developing of the inner life of the mind and some abstract concepts to cover and become infrastructure of philosophical account of sage hood, self-cultivation, and the universe. This renewed Confucianism was similar to Buddhism. But, the fact that Neo Confucianism was a creative reinterpretation of traditional Confucianism to meet the new standards of the new era, instead of being a concept that is renewed by borrowing some of the principles of Buddhism holds it to be rather unique and more advanced that Confucianism. It answers the range of mundane of Buddhism through grounding the mundane some what uniquely and exceptionally: personal relationships, concern about society and government are united with more ascetic practice to make a path to the ultimate personal fulfillment.
•The founders
Chou Tun-i (1017-1073), Chang Tsai (1020-1077), and his nephews, the brothers Ch'eng Hao (1032-1083) and Ch'eng I (1033-1108) are held mainly responsible for building the Neo Confucianism. Chang Tsai elaborated a monistic metaphysics based, like Chou's Diagram, on the Book of Changes. Although his meta physical system was largely supplanted by that developed by his neph ews, his work was of seminal importance for Neo-Confucian psychological theory.2 Confucian ethics was reestablished on a me taphysical foundation by his famous essay, The Western Inscription, which appears in chapter 2. The Ch'eng brothers were responsible for the introduction of the concept li, "principle," which became the pivot point of Neo-Confucian metaphysics, psychology, and ascetical doctrine.
•The Four Books
The Neo Confucianism developed metaphysical and ascetic principles essential to renew the Confucian tradition. While this was happening, it reshaped the classical attention on particular works and spoke and discussed and focused on new concerns.
1. Great Learning: This was taken out of Book of Rites and became most famous description of the process of self-cultivation.
2. Doctrine of the Mean: This was also taken out of Book of Rites. It provides necessary principles for a metaphysically based psychological theory and a depiction of sagehood.
3. Mencius: Discussed the Neo Confucian concern regarding the mind, human nature, and finding of the inner life
4. Analects: The classic containing the words of Confucius himself recorded by his direct disciples
Japan
Confucianism in Japan
Even though it is not considered so much as to be a religion, Confucianism has deeply influenced Japanese thought. The Confucian government was and held responsibility to be moral and bureaucratic to be somewhat in a form of benevolence toward the ruled people. Confucianism also provided a hierarchical system, in which each person was to act according to his or her status to create a harmoniously functioning society and ensure loyalty to the state. The teachings of filial piety and humanity continue to form the foundation for much of social life and ideas about family and nation. Because of these reasons, some scholars consider the Confucianism to be responsible for isolationism of Japan and the strict cast system that it has, like China and Korea. However, it was not able to get as much public appeal that Neo Confucianism, which mostly warriors advocated because of the principles related to warriors. However, it did appeal to the political system, notisfied Prince Shótoku Taish, the patron of Confucianism and Buddhism in Japan, making a 17-article Constitution that established Confucianist ideals and Buddhist ethics to be the moral foundations of the young Japanese blueprint for court etiquette and decorum.
Neo Confucianism in Japan
In Japan, the official guiding philosophy of the Tokugawa period (1603 - 1867) was Neo Confucianism. This philosophy attracted and influenced thoughts of the educated class. In the Neo - Confucianism view, harmony was maintained by a reciprocal relationship of justice between a superior, thought to be worthy only when one is benevolent, and a subordinate, who was urged to be obedient and see the changes and observe propriety.
•Four Main Elements of Neo Confucianism that influenced Japan
1) Fundamental Rationalism:
a. put emphasis to be unbiased to be the base of learning and conduct
b. pursued to "investigate" and observe stuffs as told in Great Learning
c. studied the constant laws of nature and human society (different than ceaseless change and Law of Impermanence stressed by Buddhism).
2) Essential Humanism:
a. focus on man and the relationships, not on the supernatural world - The stress on social order (warrior, farmer, artisan, merchant) was supported by this
b. emphasize five Confucian Relationships
c.rejects Buddhism and Taoism
3) Historicism:
a. scholars looked at past for future
b. Japanese scholars payed attention to Japanese history, not Chinese
4) Ethnocentrism:
a. in China, means anti-Buddhist, anti-Mongol/Turkic invaders
b. meant loyalty to the emperor and intense xenophobia, worked well with the National Learning scholarship of the time. Also, urged isolationism
•Important people
Hayashi Razan (1583 - 1657)
– Advisor to Tokugawa leyasu (1542 - 1616), the first Tokugawa shogun
– Helped in promoting orders from the early Tokugawa shogun
– Scholar of Shinto and National Learning
– Made Samurai to become shi, a knight or gentleman with a level of spiritual and moral development with academic martial knowledge that surpasses those of ordinary people.
Yamazaki Ansai (1618 - 1682)
He popularized Confucian ethics, and revived Shinto and helped in its development to become a coherent system and also increased the nationalism among Japanese people. He gave a special focus to education. This focus was continued through into modern era and focused on five relationship and clarifying it.
– "Devotion within, righteousness without"
– Devotion: service to the Shinto deities
– Righteousness: proper behavior in society
– Tried to reconcile Shinto and Confucian philosophies
Confucianism in Japan Today
Some of those traditional values have been passed down from ancestors for modern Japan. For example, they get ashamed, punishment for what they did wrong, transgress or do something things wrong. Also, the samurai, as we know is influenced by Confucianism, if we would not have Neo Confucianism, then we would not see and any samurais that come close to what we think of when we hear samurai. They will be just a blood seeker since Confucianism was what brought them to the scholars and the intelligence and urged them to follow shi, to develop their spirit and moral to exceed those of ordinary people and become more than just a mundane people. Also, we can see, like all other nations, the five relationships still exist even in the modern time. For example, husband and wife relationship. To Koreans, Japanese women are thought to have Ae Gyu, something like cuteness or gestures that usually Asian men like. This trying to be cute is because they still have that belief that women should follow husband and that is one of the ways of doing it. There even is a saying in Japanese that says "Men are skills and Women are how cute they are" Like this, some of the Confucianism is still preserved well and people follow it.
Korea
Early Confucianism in Korea
Confucianism originally entered Korea from China as an administrative tool. In the fourth century, two of the three kingdoms on the Korean peninsula at that time, Koguryo (37 BCE–668 CE) and Paekche (18 BCE–663 CE), established Confucian academies to teach lower-level government officials how to keep historical records and write diplomatic documents in the format and language used by Confucian government officials in China. The third kingdom, Shilla (57 BCE–935 CE), did the same in the seventh century. Since the Koryo dynasty (918–1392), percentage of scholars have taken examinations known as Kwa Geu examination to become Sunbi or get promoted a rank above. The Koryo civil-service examination, Kwa Geu examination, system was a modified version of the civil-service examination systemof Tang-dynasty China (618–907). The men who took the Koryo examinations could choose to be tested either on their ability to analyze classical Confucian texts or on their ability to write essays and poems in the style of revered Chinese Confucian writers. Because most who sat for the examinations chose the composition track, Confucianism remained primarily a guide to a good writing. Still, in this period, studying and making the Confucian principles to be bases for the learnings were not required, rather Confucianism was used as a supplementary source or idea to help you promote a rank or gain some political power.
Neo Confucianism in the Chosun Dynasty
This approach changed in the Choson dynasty, which replaced the Koryo at the end of the fourteenth century. The Choson dynasty was Korea's first and only Confucian dynasty, and most entry-level government officials were required to pass a Confucian civil-service examination. This examination focused on policy and morality more than on literary style. In the preceding periods, Buddhism had dominated court ritual and ethical discourse. Confucianism was confined primarily to defining how official histories, government documents, and literary compositions should be written.
Confucian influence on Korean moral thinking before the fourteenth century, however, was significant. Confucian moral rhetoric, particularly terms such as loyalty and filial piety, had penetrated Korea by the texts taught to government clerks in earlier periods. Confucian virtues had become an important part of the Korean ethical discourse, but they existed alongside, and often as a supplement to, the ethical principles of the official state religion, Buddhism.
During the Choson dynasty, Neo-Confucianism replaced Buddhism both inside and outside government as the principal decider of how human beings should live. Neo-Confucianism, which Koreans called "the learning of human nature and principle," insisted that Confucian moral principles not only defined how human beings should interact with one another, but also defined what human beings were when they realized their full human potential. In other words, moral principles constituted human nature.
In order to help human beings realize that full potential, Neo-Confucianism offered two tools to replace the sutra study, chanting, and meditation Buddhism had offered. The first was ritual and etiquette, detailed prescriptions of how to behave in specific situations. The second was practical moral psychology, techniques for cultivating a moral character that could follow those prescriptions.
One of the more important guides to proper behavior during the Choson dynasty was House Rules of Master Zhu, a guide tohousehold ritual and etiquette by the great Chinese Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi (1130–1200). Koreans became aware of this work near the end of the Koryo dynasty, but only in the Choson dynasty did it assume so much importance that family relationships were restructured to bring them more in line with its prescriptions. According to Zhu Xi, only eldest sons could host ancestral memorial services, Jesa. This contradicted the Koryo practice of letting younger sons and even daughters lead rituals honoring their parents and of letting younger sons and daughters inherit the property that provided enough income to host such rituals. In order to bring Korean ritual practices in line with Neo-Confucian ritual prescriptions, the Choson dynasty redefined the family to give priority to the eldest son, reducing the inheritance rights of younger sons and taking away any inheritance rights whatsoever from the daughters.
The most effective approach to character cultivation became a hotly debated issue in the sixteenth century. For the next three centuries, Koreans argued about whether to follow the advice of Yi Hwang (1510–1570, pen name T'oegye) or Yi I (1536–1584, pen name Yulgok). T'oegye recommended sitting in quiet concentration to rid the mind of disturbing self-centered emotions. Yulgok, on the other hand, encouraged his followers to cultivate an attitude of sincerity so that they always acted appropriately in whatever situation they found themselves.
Confucianism in Korea Today
When the Choson dynasty fell in 1910, Neo-Confucianism lost its institutional base and could not maintain its hegemony over government, ritual, philosophy, and ethics. Nevertheless, a century later, Korea still shows traces of its Confucian past. Koreans continue to mourn their ancestors with Confucian ritual, although modernized and simplified. And they continue to wield Confucian terminology in debates over ethical issues. Sixteen hundred years after Confucianism became established in Korea, Korea remains in many ways a Confucian country.
For example, the five relationships strongly controls the way people think and act in the society. Younger ones would vow to the older ones or speak in, Jon Dat Mal, to show that they respect them. However, some changes did take place in Korea as it got into 21st century. The relationship between husband and wife does not apply so strongly to Korean society as it used to back in Chosun and Koryo dynasty. For instance, some wives do not use Jon Dat Mal anymore, if you look at Korea dramas, wives are always speaking to their husband in Jon Dat Mal, but now, since, in the reality, that mind that males are dominant had been weakening somewhat, this shows that Korea is now leaving out some principles that it consider to be unnecessary. Also, now, Confucianism is not the only choice available when one is making decision. For example, previously described, wives speaking in Jon Dat Mal to husbands.
China
Early Confucianism in China
Most of the early Confucianism of China was mentioned in the beginning of this research paper. Therefore, I will cover the subjects I have not covered. Confucius wanted to bring back the old days of Zhou dynasty and the wisdom along with it. After, Confucius died, his student, Mencius (372 B. C - 289 B. C) continued his legacy and spread confucianism all around China. It was in the time of Han dynasty ruled by emperor Wu. Since, his ideology was served and used as principle for government ruling, Confucius soon became glorified as if he was a god, even though he said that he did not want those kind of treatments from others. Then the Song Dynasty came and it caused decline in the influence of Confucianism and later made it to become just a ideology that is supplement of Buddhism and does not matter whether it is known or not
Neo Confucianism in China
It took some time for Confucianism to bring back its old glory back to China. People focused on other philosophical ideas and science and other stuffs. However, Chinese soon finds out that Confucianism is good and bring back Confucianism as Neo Confucianism and this is about it.
Confucianism in China Today
Confucianism has a lot of similarities with socialism today. Both promote collective interests and community welfare. Both emphasize the educational or remolding process in serving the common good of the society. These concepts may be quite different from the West that every individual is a completely independent entity. Individual freedom is well above the social order and welfare. We can see strong ruler - subject relationship in China since the government is somewhat of not lenient in terms of letting people choose. However, some people believe that Confucianism is not taking place so strongly as it used to in early confucianism and neo confucianism time because of the government's violation of taking actions that are respectful. Since they are controlling everything and not letting ordinary people to do anything, this can be seen as only one side of the relationship, subject, to be doing its duty correctly and right. However, the five relationships are preserved well in the country.
Compare and Contrast
So, I think the biggest similarity between these three nations is that they preserved the five relationships rather strongly and did not change them that much. Also, the fact that they all went through and had regular Confucianism, Neo Confucianism and somewhat of modified Confucianism makes them to have somewhat of closely related cast system and morals. Some differences would be that Japan was the last to get contacted to Confucianism. However, all of the nations liked and revered Confucianism in one point of their history and is has it as a base for some principles that we use in modern time. More differences would be that China was the place where the Confucianism origined and people had first contact with it before any other countries did. Also, it was the prime country that gave Confucianism and other religions to Korea and Japan.
Manipulation of the Confucianism is different for all three countries in terms of government. In Japan, the country used it to further good the samurais, who are basically the fighters of the country. Since the society was warrior based society, they saw that warriors should not only be able to fight well but need some knowledge and skills to write well and show their emotions. For example, because of confucianism, samurais started using poems to show their mood, emotion, and what they saw and felt. Koreans on the other hand, since it is more of a scholar based society, used it to find smart people to be used in government or science or other stuffs. Korean government would have civil-service examination to be taken by scholars to see what level they are and whether they actually fit for the job. Like this, Koreans used it for knowledge and scholar subjects while as Japanese used it for warrior based subjects. Lastly, China used it to set it as an ideology to be followed by government. It is true that the other nations did the same thing, but China was the only nation that revered the term mentioned in Confucianism so well. They actually taken the Confucianism to a degree in which they considered it to be a religion and Confucius to be somewhat of a god like being.
Similarity, as mentioned is the preserve of all three nations' five relationships. This shows that even though these different nations had different ethics, ideas, morals and more, they agreed on the relationship of Confucianism and principles of it. This means that Confucianism could be fit for any other countries also, even in European continent. The fact that it wants government to fully understand moral before ruling would inevitably attract people and it proves that fact that Confucius is fit and suitable to be somewhat of a philosophy known int lots of regions and places.
Last similarity is the fact that husband - wife role is shifting and had been somewhat modified to today's standard. For example, the original Confucius idea would allow harsh stuffs to happen to wives and call it justified. However, since we now treat women equally, we do not think women as inferior and thus forcing us to modify the husband - wife relationship to fit our standard. I believe that if Confucianism goes through some of these modifying moments, then it would be able to be accepted in all parts of the world because of its love for equality and morality.
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